X-ray apparatus



R- L- GUENTNER ET AL X-RAY APPARATUS Oct. 20, 1959 Filed July 31, 1957Fig. IA.

wn-usssss 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Robert L.Guentner 8 Eugene R ThomasAT'To Oct. 20, 1959 R. L. GUENTNER ET AL X-RAY APPARATUS Filed July 31,1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 var-"0"... v

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4 Sheets-Sheet 4 /A// I I II I!!! X-RAY APPARATUS R. L. GUENTNER ETALOct. 20, 1959 File July 31, 1957 Fig.3

United States Patent X-RAY APPARATUS .Robert L.:Guentner and Eugene P.Thomas, Catonsville,

Md., assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh,Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 31, 1957, Serial No.675,304

7 Claims. 01. 250-92 able to a variety of positions to project a beam ofX-rays vertically downward upon a patient or to project the beam at anydesired angle relative to the vertical for photographing when thepatient is disposed at various angles of inclination. It is customary inthe art for X-ray tube stands to be disposed adjacent one long side of apatient supporting table so as to suspend the X-ray source in adjustableposition at any desired distance above the table. Usually theradiologist or technician operates the apparatus from a positionadjacent the op-posite side of the table. In prior apparatus of the typedescribed, X-ray stands have been provided with instrumentalities forlocking the X-ray tube carriage at different horizontally and verticallyshifted positions. These locking devices have conventionally beenmounted on the stand structure at arbitrarily fixed locations which arenotoriously inconvenient to the operators location. In many cases thedevices for locking the X-ray tube carriage in position have beenlocated such that the operator is required to leave the operatingposition to adjust the locking devices. In other cases they have beenlocated so that the operator must reach across the patient supportingtable and over the patient in order to manipulate the control devices.

Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide an improvedX-ray tube supporting stand including improved means for vertically andhorizontally positioning the X-ray tube relative to an object to beexamined;

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved X-ray tubestand having greater strength and rigidity together with substantiallydecreased massiveness to thereby provide increased maneuverability ofthe apparatus.

It is a further object of the invention to provide improved manualcontrol means for X-ray tube stands having the control devices to bemanually operated disposed in a conveniently accessible positionrelative to the operatorsstation.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide improved meansfor securing an X-ray source support stand in adjusted positionincluding novel manual control means for the securing'means, whichcontrol means is constructed so asto permit facile operation froma fixedoperators station.

Other objects of the invention include improvements of the structure ofmechanisms utilized for movably Y supporting the X-ray tube on astandard.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will the carriage 12and is rigidly connected thereto as for be apparent from the followingdescription taken in accordance with the accompanying drawings,throughout which like reference characters indicate like parts, whichdrawing forms a part of this application and in which:

Figures 1a and 1b are a perspective view of an X-ray apparatus embodyingthe invention with part of the tube stand structure 'being broken awayfor clarity of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view partly in elevation takensubstantially along the lines IIII of Fig. la and showing the X-ray tubeand the horizontal cantilever arm for supporting the X-ray tube;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the lines IIIIII ofFig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines IVIV of Fig.1b;

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the tube stand basecarriage structure and its supporting track taken substantially alongthe lines V-V of Fig. 1b;

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section of the base carriage lockingmechanism taken along the line VI-VI of Fig. lb;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged view partly in section of the locking mechanismcontrol device of Fig. 1a; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmental view, partly in outline and partly in section,showing an overhead guide rail for the tube stand of the presentinvention.

Referringnow to the drawings, Fig. 2 shows an X-ray apparatus includinga support table 90 for a patient to be examined with a source ofpenetrating radiation such as an X-ray tube 86 disposed vertically abovethe longitudinal centerline of the table. The support table 90 may be awell-known type of X-ray tilt table provided with support means enablingthe table to be tilted about an axis parallel to the plane of Fig. 2. Itis desirable to provide means whereby the X-ray tube 86 may be shiftedto a variety of vertical and horizontal positions relative to the table90 and to provide means whereby the X-ray tube 86 may be rotated in ahorizontal plane from the position as shown in Fig. 2 to a positionwhere the X-ray tubeis disposed outside the table area so as tofacilitate manipulation of a patient on the table.

To this end the X-ray tube 86 is mounted on a horizontally shiftablecantilever support'arm which is in turn supported by a carriage assembly36. The carriage assembly 36 is mounted for vertical movement along afirst support column 16a with the support column being supported on abase carriage 12 which is shiftable longitudinally along a rail 10disposed substantially parallel to the long dimension of the patientsupport table. As best seen in Figs. lb and 5, the rail '10 may beattached to a floor 1 1 in any conventional way. The base carriage 12 issupported for longitudinal reciprocal movement along the rail 10 bymeans of a plurality of roller bearing wheels 14 mounted inside the basecarriage.

The firstsupport column 16a comprises a substantially verticalcylindrical guide tube 16 supported at its lower end on the basecarriage12 by means of a circular plug 18 inserted in the end of the tube 16.The circular plug 18 and hence the tube 16 are supported on the basecarriage 12 by means of an axially positioned thrust ball 19 whichispositioned in a centrally located depression 17 in the plug 18. Thelower end of the guide tube 16 is maintained in position on the carriage12 by means of a plurality of peripherally spaced roller bearing wheels20 mounted on the top surface of the carriage 12 so as to rollinglyengage the external peripheral surface of the tube 16. A second supportcolumn standard or 30 in the formofahollow tubular member having theform of a I vertical plane.

-may be unusually light in structure,

3 example by welding so that the standard 30 constitutes a verticallyextending cantilever support structure.

At its top end the rectangular standard 30 is provided with a top capmember 24, a portion of which extends to the right of the column 30 andis provided with an opening through which the guide tube 16 extends. Asecond group of roller bearing wheels 22 are peripherally spaced aboutthe guide tube 16 and are connected to the top cap member 24 so as torollingly engage the periphery of the guide tube 16 to thereby secure itagainst horizontal movement relative to the standard 30, while at thesame time permitting the tube 16 to rotate freely about its verticalaxis. Telescopically disposed in the upper portion of the guide tube 16is a guide tube extension bar 26 which extends upwardly from the guidetube and is provided at its top end with a roller bearing wheel 28.Preferably a ceiling rail a, Fig. 8 is mounted above the tube standstructure in accurately aligned parallel position relative to the floorrail 10. The ceiling rail 10a preferably is a channel-like member havinga pair of flanges adapted to engage opposite sides of the roller bearingwheel 28 so as to stabilize the entire tube stand structure againstmovement transversely of the ceiling rail 10a and the floor rail 10.

The X-ray source supporting carriage structure 36 preferably includesmeans for adjusting the X-ray source vertically relative to the supportcolumns 16a and 30 and further includes mechanism permitting angularmovement of the X-ray source about the vertical axis of the guide tube16. The pivotal motion allows the X-ray source to be shifted out of thetable area thereby permitting free access to the table and to thepatient and further permitting use of the X-ray source in conjunctionwith any desirable auxiliary apparatus independently of the table.

To this end the second support column 30 encloses a vertically movablecounterpoise member 32 in the form of a rectangular sheet metal boxarranged to contain a plurality of counterweights. Near the top of thesecond support column 30 is mounted a cable pulley 36a which isjournalled on a horizontal axis so as to rotate in a The pulley 36a ispositioned within the rectangular support column 30 so that a portion ofthe pulley extends slightly through a slot 37 in the right-hand wall ofthe column 30. A counterpoise cable 34 is connected to the upper end ofthe counterpoise member 32 and extends vertically upward within thecolumn 30 around the pulley 36a and thence downwardly to a connectinglug 41 on the exterior side of a carriage support member 40.

As best seen in Fig. la and Fig. 2, the vertically movable carriageassembly 36 comprises a sleeve member 38 which embraces the guide tube16, a horizontal cross brace 46 and a carriage stabilizer member 50mounted for vertical movement along the columns 16 and 30. By virtue ofthe counterpoise member 32 and its connection to the carriage assembly36 by way of cable 34, the assembly 36 is supported independently of theguide tube 16 so that the column 30 bears the entire weight of theassembly 36, the horizontal cantilever arm 80 and the X-ray tube 86. Theforegoing support arrangement relieves the guide tube 16 of all verticalloading so that the guide tube 16 and the means for supporting the guidetube 16 thereby minimizing the massiveness of the entire apparatus.

Suitable means in the form of a detent mechanism may be provided forretaining the vertical carriage assembly and the cantilever support arm80 in certain rotated positions about the axis of the guide tube 16. Forexample, it is desirable to provide means for retaining the support arm80 in the position shown in Fig. 2 wherein the support arm projectsperpendicularly from the tube stand toward the patient support table 90.The detent mechanism preferably should be of a type such that anyappreciable force applied to the X-ray tube 86 or the support member armwill simply rotate the tube arm about the axis of the guide tube 16rather than damaging any part of the apparatus. It sometimes happensthat the operator Wlll inadvertently operate the power driven tiltabletable while the tube arm 80 is located in such a position that the tabletilts up and strikes the tube arm or the tube 86. If the tube arm isrigidly fixed in position at such time, there is very real danger ofdamaging the X-ray tube 86 or its support mechanism.

To this end the present invention provides a detent mechanism onthe'support carriage assembly 36 which ordinarily retains the supportarm 80 in the position as shown in Fig. 2 but which readily permitspivotal movement of the X-ray tube 86 relative to the support column 30.The vertically moveable carriage assembly 36 and the detent mechanism,as best shown in Fig. 1a and Fig. 3, include the sleeves member 38 whichconcentrically embraces the guide tube 16 and which is provided with afirst plurality of peripherally spaced roller bearing wheels 39connected to flanges on the sleeve member 38 and positioned so as tobear against the exterior surface of the guide tube 16. As shown in Fig.1b, a similar plurality of roller bearing wheels 39a are mounted on thesleeve member 38 near its lower end and similarly maintain the sleevemember 38 in spaced concentric alignment with the guide tube 16, therebypermitting vertical movement of the sleeve member 38 along the guidetube. At the upper end of the sleeve member 38, an annular bearing plate42 is rigidly afiixed to the sleeve member in any suitable manner, forexample by welds 43 as shown in Fig. 3. The annular bearing plate 42 isdisposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the sleeve member 38and is positioned so as to coact with a plurality of roller bearings 44which are preferably spaced about the guide tube 16 and are mounted onthe carriage support member 40.

As best seen in Fig. 3, the counterweight cable 34 is attached to thedownwardly extending portion of the carriage support member 40 by meansof the lug 41 and thereby applies an upward force to the carriagesupport member 40. This upward force is transmitted by the rollerbearing wheels 44 to the bearing plate 42 and thence to the carriagesleeve member 38. By virtue of the aforedescribed arrangement, thecounterweight assembly supports the entire weight of the X-ray tubesupport carriage assembly 36 and at the same time permits the sleevemember 38 and the members supported thereby to rotate about the axis ofthe guide tube 16. The bearing plate 42 is provided with a plurality ofperipherally spaced notches or depressions 48 in the under surfacethereof. These depressions 48 are preferably positioned in the bearingplate 42 so that the roller bearing wheels 44 will engage one or more ofthe notches when the X-ray tube is located in the operating positionshown in Fig. 2. When the tube support arm 80 and the sleeve 38 arepivoted in a horizontal plane, the depressions 48 will act on the rollerbearing wheels 44 so that the sleeve member 38 rises slightly when theroller wheels 44 disengage from the depressions 48 and so that thesleeve member 38 falls slightly when the wheels enter into a pair of thedepressions 48. Thus it is seen that the depressions 48 in the annularbearing plate 42 provide a detent action which will retain the tubesupport arm 80 in selected pivotal positions with the detent force beingsuch that it is readily overcome by manual or other pivotal forcesapplied to the X-ray tube 86 or the support arm 80.

It is desirable to provide means whereby the X-ray tube and thecantilever support arm 80 may be longitudinally shifted so as to disposethe X-ray tube 86 at various transverse positions relative to the X-raytable 90. To this end, referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the cantileversupport arm 80 which has the form of a cylindrical tube is mounted forlongitudinal movement in a horizontal sleeve member 82 having aplurality of radial flanges 83. A plurality of roller bearing wheels 84are mounted on the flanges 83 so as to extend radially inwardthroughslots in the sleeve 82 to rollingly engage the exterior surfaceof the cantilever support arm 80. Thus the support arm 80 is rollinglysupportedby the sleevemember-8210 that the arm 80 may be longitudinallyshiftedtherein. The horizontal sleeve member 82 is rigidly connected inany suitable manner to a box-likezcarriage frame78'. The opposite sideof the carriage frame 78 is rigidly affixed by such as welds 79 to apair of flanges of the sleeve member 38. Thus the sleeve member 38 andthe horizontal sleeve member 82 are rigidly connected together for jointpivotal movement about the axis ofthe guide tube 16v and for integralmovement vertically along the guide tube 16.

It is to be noted that the roller bearing wheels 39 and 39a are mountedon the carriage sleeve'mernber 38 in vertical planes so as to permitvertical movement of the carriage assembly 36 along the guide tube. .Theroller wheels 39 and 39a do not provide rolling. pivotal movement of thesleevemember 38 about the guide tube. When-the carriage sleeve member 38and the support arm 80 are pivoted about the axis of the guide tube 16,the friction of the roller bearings 39a and 39' on the guide tube 16cause the tube to rotate also. This action prevents marring or gallingof the guide tube by the carriage bearings and further provides freefrictionless pivotal movement and vertical movement of the support arm80 in relation to the base carriage 12 and support column 30. Over aperiod of time the guide tube 16 gradually rotates relative to thesleeve member 38.. This gradual rotation allows the roller bearingwheels 39a and 39 to ride on different peripheral areas of the guidetube 16,

thereby greatly reducing the deterioration of the wheel contactingsurfaces of the guide tube.

The cross brace member 46 of the carriage assembly 36 is rigidly afiixedto one side of the carriage support member 40 and extends horizontallypast the back side 'of the support column 30. At the left-hand end ofthe cross brace 46 there is provided the carriage stabilizer member 50rigidly attached to the end of the cross brace 46. The stabilizer member50 is located closely adjacent and'parallel to the left-hand side ofthe-support standard 30; A pair of roller bearing wheels 52 are mountedon the inner side of the stabilizer 50 so as to engage opposite sides ofa flange 54 which projects from the left side of the support standard30. By virtue of engagement with the flange 54, the stabilizer member 50is maintained in accurate alignment with the support standard 30 andthereby prohibits horizontal movement or pivotal movementof the crossbrace 46 and the carriage support member 40 relative to the supportstandard 30. The roller wheels 44 which support the sleeve member 38 arethereby maintained in a fixed angular position so that the detentdepressions 48 are operative to accurately position the support arm 80and the X-ray tube 86 in predetermined angular positions relative to thesupport column 30.

Ordinarily the base carriage 12 and hence the entire tube stand assemblyincluding column 30, guide tube 16 and the tube support arm 80 arefreely movable along the floor rail and beneath the ceiling rail 10aparallel to one side of the X-ray table. In using the apparatus it isfrequently desirable to lock the tube stand apparatus in fixed positionalong the rail 10 so as to maintain the X-ray tube in accurately alignedposition relative to a particular part of the patients anatomy. In orderto lock the base carriage 12 in any desired position along the floorrail 10, a frictional locking mechanism 70 is provided on the basecarriage 12. The frictional locking mechanism 70, as best shown in Figs.lb and 6, comprises a friction pad 72 adapted to frictionally engage thetop surface of the rail 10, a biasing spring 74 for pressing thefriction pad 72 downwardly toward the locking position, a stem member 76rigidlyconnected to the friction pad 72 and extending upwardly throughan opene os-get ing. in the top surface of the base carriage 12,.and acontrol wire 64 connected to the upper end of the stem member 76 andwhich may be tensioned-to lift the friction pad 72 to release thefrictional locking mechanism. The control cable or wire 64 extendsupwardly from the locking mechanism adjacent the left side of thesupport standard 30 to a lock control device 56 which is preferablymounted on the carriage stabilizer member 50 and is vertically movablewith the stabilizer member 50. The wire64 extends through the lockcontrol device 56 in a manner to be hereinafter described and extendsupwardly therefrom in parallel adjacency to the support column 30. Theupper end of the control wire 64 is aifixed in any suitable manner tothe top cap 24. Thus the upper portion of the wire 64 is immovablerelative to the top cap 24 and the support column 30.

The lock control'device 56 comprises a lever member 58 having one endpivotally connected to the carriage stabilizer member 50, and a pair ofpulleys 60 and 62 with the first pulley 62 being mounted in fixedposition on a cover plate member 66 attached to the stabilizer member50, Fig. 7. The second pulley 60 is mounted on the lever member 58 so asto be shiftable vertically through a short distance when the levermember 58 is shifted vertically. The cover plate member 66 is providedwith a stepped opening 67, Fig. la, through which the lever member 58extends, with the step in the opening 67 providing means for latchingthe lever 58 in the depressed position as shown by the dotted lines inFig. 7. The control wire 64 is threaded over the top of the fixed pulley62 and thence horizontally around the bottom of the shiftable pulley 60and thereafter proceeds upwardly to the top cap 24.

In operation of the lock control device, the lever member 58 normally islocated in-the upper position, in which position the length of the cable64 is suflicient to permit the biasing spring 74 to press the frictionpad 72 tightly against the rail 10, thereby securing the base carriage12 in position on the rail 10. To release the base carriage 12 formovement or for repositioning along the rail 10, the lever 58 may bedepressed downwardly to the position as shown in the dotted lines inFig. 7. This action shifts the shiftable pulley 60 downwardly therebytensioning the cable 64 and decreasing its effective length between thestem 76 and the top cap 24. Thus the lower portion of the wire 64 fromthe pulley 62 down to the stem member 76 is moved longitudinally upwardso as to lift the'stem member 76 and the friction pad 72 therebyreleasing the frictional locking mechanism. The levering member 58engages a shoulder in the stepped opening 67 so as to retain the lockingmechanism in the released position.

: While the present invention has been shown in one form only, it willbe obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but issusceptible of various changes and modifications without departing fromthe spirit and scope thereof.

We claim as our invention:

1. In an X-ray tube stand, a base member, a vertical guide columnsupported on said base member, X-raytube-supporting carriage means inguided cooperation with said guide column for vertical movementtherealong, a lift-force-applying means guided for vertical movementalong the axis of said guide column and constrained against rotarymovement about said axis, thrust bearing means interposed between saidlift-force-applying means and said X-ray-tube-supporting carriage meansto transmit a counterbalancing force from the former to the latter, avertical standard supported on said base member adjacent to and parallelto the aforesaid guide column, pulley means carried by said standard,vertically-movable counterweight means, and flexible tension meanspassing over said pulley means and interconnecting saidlift-forceapplying means to said counterweight means.

2. In an X-ray tube stand, a base member movable along a floor track, avertical guide column pivotally supported on said base member andconstrained at its uppermost end against movement transversely of thedirection of extension of said floor track, a vertical standardnonpivotally supported by said base member adjacent and parallel to saidguide column, X-ray-tube-supporting carriage means in guided cooperationwith said guide column for vertical movement therealong and a rotarymovement therewith about its vertical axis, a vertically-movableliftforce-applying means constrained against rotary movement about thevertical axis of said guide column by cooperation with said verticalstandard, thrust bearing means interposed between saidlift-force-applying means and said X-ray-tube-supporting carriage meansto transmit a counterbalancing force therebetween, pulley means carriedby said standard, vertically movable counterweight means, and flexibletension means in interconnection between said counterweight means andsaid lift-force-applying means and in supported transpositionableengagement with said pulley means.

3. In an X-ray tube stand, and X-ray-tube-supporting carriage meanspivotally movable about an axis, and a combined rotary support androtary-position-defining detent means for said carriage means, includinga plurality of rollers in rollable contact with an annular bearingmember having circumferentially-spaced-apart indentations disposed inthe path of travel of said rollers.

4. X-ray tube stand apparatus comprising a substantially horizontaltrack, a first carriage means mounted on said track for movementlongitudinally thereof, a substantially perpendicular support columnmounted on said first carriage means, a second carriage meansreciprocally movable longitudinally along said support column so as tosupport an X-ray source at a plurality of vertically and horizontallyshifted positions, and fastening means for securing said first carriagein adjusted position along said track, said fastening means comprising afastening member mounted on said first carriage means for limitedadjustment relative thereto and normally biased to fastening position,an elongated connector member extending between said fastening memberand said second carriage means and manually operable means mounted onsaid second carriage and adjustable to tension said connector member forrestraining said fastening member out of said fastening position.

5. X-ray tube stand apparatus comprising a horizontal I track, a basecarriage rollingly supported on said track for movement therealong, anupright support column secured on said base carriage, X-ray tube supportmeans mounted for longitudinal movement along said support column tosupport an X-ray tube at vertically and horizontally adjustablepositions, a securing member mounted on said base carriage for limitedadjustment toward and away from said track member and normally biased tosecuring position, manually operable means carried on said X-ray tubesupport means in convenient position relative to said X-ray tube, and anelongated flexible connection member extending between said X-ray tubesupport means and said securing member to actuate said securing memberin response to manual adjustment of said manually operable meansregardless of the vertically adjusted position of said X-ray tubesupport means along said column.

i 6. Apparatus for adjustably positioning a source of penetratingradiation comprising, a horizontal track, a base carriage movablysupported on said track and adjustable longitudinally thereof, anupright support column secured on said base carriage, a source carriagemounted for longitudinal movement along said support column to supportsaid source of penetrating radiation at vertically and horizontallyadjustable positions relative to an object to be irradiated, adjustablemeans for affixing said base carriage in adjusted position againstmovement along said track comprising a securing member supported on saidbase carriage so as to be shiftable in a first direction to secure andin a second direction to release said base carriage, with said securingmember being normally biased in said first direction, manually operablemeans including a lever member mounted on and extending from said sourcecarriage to a position conveniently adjacent said object, and actuatingmeans comprising a flexible connector member extending between saidsource carriage and said securing member to actuate said securing memberin said second direction in response to tensioning of said connectormember. by manual operation of said lever member, with the connection ofsaid connector member between said source carriage and said securingmember being such that the tensioning thereof is independent of thevertically shifted position of said source carriage relative to saidbase carriage.

7. Apparatus for adjustably positioning a source of penetratingradiation comprising, a horizontal track, a first carriage movable alongsaid track, locking means for securing said first carriage on saidtrack, a substantially vertical standard on said first carriage, asecond carriage movable longitudinally of said standard, a flexiblecable extending between the upper end of said standard and said lockingmeans, and manually operable control means supported on said secondcarriage for operating said locking means, said control means includingmeans for changing the effective length of said flexible cable toactuate said locking means in response to longitudinal movement of aportion of said cable.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,513,915 Caldwell July 4, 1950 2,588,124 Kizaur Mar. 4, 1952 2,727,156Guentner et al Dec. 13, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 156,662 Austria Aug. 10,1939

